Magnificent and Furious
by imhookedonaswan
Summary: After many years, rumors swirl that the Evil Queen is back and filled with more vengeance than ever. But instead of setting her sights on Snow White she goes for the thing Snow loves most, her beloved daughter Emma. For her own safety, Emma is to be transported to safety on an unassuming merchant ship, where she meets two indentured servants hoping for a way to find their freedom.
1. Prologue

" _Blessed be she who is both furious and magnificent"- Taylor Rhodes_

"How are you feeling Daddy?" Regina sat at her father's bedside, sponging his sweaty forehead.

"Not well," he coughed.

"Don't talk like that, you're going to get better." She picked up the bowl of soup on his nightstand. "I'll make sure of it."

"Regina, I am an old man-"

"No, you are all I have in this world. What would I do without you?" she gripped her father's hand. "I'm not strong enough."

"You're stronger than you know Regina, look at you. You've set aside your hatred of Snow White for all these years, I cannot tell you how proud you have made me." He coughed into a handkerchief. Regina helped him to sit up, rubbing him on the back, her eyes fell onto the bloodstained handkerchief.

"Daddy how long has this been going on?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Henry tried to hide the handkerchief.

"I'm talking about the bloody handkerchief, how long?"

"A few months," he murmured before coughing again.

"Why didn't you tell me? I could have healed you, I would have found a way, you know it." Regina pleaded.

"Regina I am old, I have lived a long life. And watching you grow up has been the highlight of it."

"Excluding the evil parts, I'm assuming," Regina muttered.

"No, including them. You lost your way, but you found your way back when you refused to cast that curse. You never did tell me why,"

"Because I couldn't live without you," she said as two large tears fell from her eyes. "That would have been the price I had to pay."

"You see? You are so strong. I am so proud of you Regina," he looked her in the eyes before succumbing to another coughing fit. More blood flew from his mouth as he tried to conceal it into his handkerchief, but his breathing became erratic as he tried to draw breath. Regina tried everything she could think of to save him but by dawn, he was gone.

Regina stumbled from his room; her eyes sore and red, her hair frizzy and stuck to her neck with sweat. The walk to her chambers felt even longer than normal, her footsteps echoing off the walls of the somber dark castle. A numbness spread from her mottled heart to her hands all the way down to her feet as she put one foot in front of the other and slowly opened the door to her chambers. Her dress weighed heavy on her shoulders, the corset making it difficult to breathe; with shaking hands, she began to remove her gown. She blindly tried to unlace the laces at her back, a spark of anger igniting as her fingers fumbled with them. The fabric of her dress ripped as she clawed at her back, a frustrated growl bubbled up from her chest as she violently tore the gown from her body. The fabric pooled at her feet as she stepped out of it and stumbled to her wardrobe, wrenching the door open to scan for something new to wear. Her eyes fell onto the mirror embedded into the door and a face she hadn't called upon in many years came to her mind's eye.

No, she couldn't; she wouldn't call upon him to spy on Snow White. Not when she had abstained all these years. But her anger and her grief burned deep in her chest, filling her up until it threatened to spill through her fingertips as small flames.

"Mirror!"

"You called my Queen?" he answered as if it had been only yesterday that she had last called upon him.

"I need to see her, show me Snow White," Regina snarled, her throat hoarse and her eyes hot.

"It's been many years since you've asked me that."

"Just do it!" Regina roared. The Mirror cast her a contemptuous look before dissolving and bringing to view a castle Regina had once known, along with a grown woman Regina had known as a child and a bandit. Snow White had grown gracefully into a queen, only a few lines around her eyes and the grey streaking through her hair gave away her age. Regina watched as she talked to a young woman, who couldn't yet be twenty years of age. She had to be Snow White's daughter, the Savior, no doubt beloved by her parents and her people perhaps even more so than Snow White had been. Regina regarded the girl who was prophesied to defeat her. She clearly took after her shepherd father, the light blonde hair that fell nearly to her waist in golden waves was clear enough along with a defiant streak that her father possessed. As Regina glared at the happy mother and daughter duo as a young boy on the cusp of becoming a young man burst into the room followed by the false prince who was holding a small girl in his arms.

Regina regarded them as wave upon wave of anger and resentment, and grief hit her square in the chest. Once again Snow White was surrounded by people who loved and adored her, while she, Regina, sat in isolation and exile. Her moment of weakness when she refused to crush her father's heart all those years ago had been pointless, she lost him anyway and Snow White still had everything.

She lost her true love, Daniel, she lost her mother Cora, she lost the respect of the Dark One, and now she lost her father. She lost everything and Snow White gained not just a True Love but three brats who no doubt loved her.

 _Well, it's time to fix that_ , Regina thought to herself. She had lost everyone, it was time for Snow White to lose something. Magic came easily to her as she dressed herself with a wave of her hand. She found the spell book in which she discovered a spell that had been all too tempting all those years ago but unfortunately the necessary ingredients hadn't existed yet. But now, Regina looked back to the mirror and narrowed her eyes at the image of the blonde young woman. Now she had everything she needed. And nothing to lose


	2. Chapter 1

A/N: And here we meet the whole Charming family! Again really huge thank yous to my betas justanotherwannabeclassic and eloquentlyenchanted for really making this fic the best it can be. Also be sure to go to my tumblr .com to see the amazing fic headers princesse-swan has made for each chapter!

The torches of the great ballroom cast a warm glow on all the guests in attendance for the Crown Princess Emma of Misthaven's birthday ball. The jewels at the ears, necks, wrists, and fingers of the guest glittered and reflected off each other as they danced and drank from the impressive royal wine collection. Despite being the guest of honor, Emma herself had taken a step back from the revelry as a way to catch her breath and have a moment of privacy. She spotted her mother and father talking and laughing with the usual crowd of people. Her mother insisted that one day Emma would come to enjoy and seek out the company of others. Emma knew she would always need these secluded moments to herself if she were to ever rule properly.

She saw her little brother, Leo, join her parents and their friends and tell an apparently hilarious joke since all the adults were still laughing heartily. Emma couldn't help but think that Leo might be a better choice for Heir of Misthaven - he was outgoing and friendly without being naive. Surely he would be able to secure more alliances with neighboring kingdoms and principalities than her sullen and shrewd self. But being firstborn, Emma would be the one to inherit the crown and the throne and the responsibility. Perhaps Leo could be her official ambassador, to give lords and ladies and all other highborn people a good impression of Misthaven.

"Emma?" a tiny voice spoke as Emma felt someone pulling at her billowing skirt. Emma looked down and saw her baby sister Charlotte, still in her nightclothes, looking up at her expectantly.

"Shouldn't you be in bed?" Emma asked, smiling down at the little girl.

"I'm not tired," the little girl pouted, "Besides, I want to dance."

"How about this, you can dance one dance with me and then I'll take you up to bed."

"But it's your birthday, Emmy," Charlotte looked up at her with wide eyes.

"Yes and that means I can choose to do what I want and right I would like a dance with my little sister," Emma extended her hand to Charlotte. Charlotte thread her small fingers between Emma's and practically pulled Emma out onto to the dancefloor. Emma heard the good-natured chuckles from her guests as she and Charlotte danced freely with each other, not caring that they weren't following the correct steps.

"Excuse me," a man about Emma's age approached the two princesses, Emma recognized him as Prince Philip II, heir to very fertile farmlands and, as her mother loved to point out, a suitable prospect for a husband. He knelt down to Charlotte's level, "Do you mind if I have a dance with your sister?"

"NO!" Charlotte stamped her foot, "It's my turn to dance with Emmy, you wait your turn!" Emma bit her lip as she struggled not to laugh at the young prince's expression, it was clear he had not been expecting that at all.

"Charlotte what are you doing out of bed?" Their mother Snow White seemed to appear out of nowhere at the slightest sound of commotion.

"She just wanted a dance," Emma cut in, "I was going to take her up to bed after the song was over."

"Oh, Emma, you don't have to do that, I'll take her up. You can have a dance with Prince Philip here," she smiled warmly at the lordling and picked up a protesting Charlotte balancing her on her hip.

Emma knew exactly what her mother was doing. This ball wasn't just to celebrate her birthday, but also to announce to the world that she was now available for courtship. Prince Philip's parents, King Philip and Queen Aurora, were close friends and allies of her parents and Emma knew a marriage would only strengthen that alliance.

"I'm sorry for upsetting your sister," Prince Philip apologized as he took her hand and waist.

"It's all right, she's certainly spirited," Emma smiled at her mother's retreating back.

"She'll give whatever man that courts her an interesting ride."

"She's only 6, I don't think she has to worry about such things yet."

"My apologies, Your Highness," an awkward silence settled between them. "Good band your parents got," Prince Philip tried again.

Emma opened her mouth to answer but any and all words left her when the doors to the ballroom banged open. A woman stood in the center, a sinister smile on her face. Despite never setting eyes on her before, Emma knew instantly this was the Evil Queen who had not been seen since her parent's wedding and whom many had thought was gone.

"My, my, what a grand affair," the Queen snarled, taking several lazy steps forward as many people stood in shock at her sudden appearance. "Remember this night as it will be the last night of peace this kingdom will ever see."

"We defeated you once, we will defeat you again!" Emma's father, King David, shouted above the panicked screams of their guests, drawing his greatsword from its sheath as he rushed through the retreating crowd.

"Please," the Evil Queen chuckled, "You only won because I was weak, but now? Now, I am stronger than even I could have thought. And, I have ways of outliving you and your children and even Snow White."

"What are you talking about?" Snow White had come back into the ballroom, her bow out and an arrow already aimed towards Regina.

"I mean that now, I have nothing to lose and everything to gain. I have a way to become invisible but I only need one thing. The Savior."

Emma acted quickly, grabbing Prince Philip's sword from his belt and standing in front of Regina. "And what do you need from me?"

"How very like your parents you are, so forward and so dense. No finesse. You can guess what I need from you, Savior, and you will give it to me once you realize that there is no other way. But not tonight- tonight I will let you celebrate. Consider it a gift from your dear grandmother." Regina turned her attention to Snow White, "Snow White you know all too well what I am capable of, do not take me lightly," with a wave of her hands the queen vanished in a puff of red smoke as two swords and an arrow flew towards her.

Emma stared at the spot on the floor where the Evil Queen had once stood, as people ran in all directions out of the ballroom.

* * *

"We can't just turn tail and run!" Emma slammed her hand on the council table. The war council meeting had been going on for hours. Her parents and others wanted to keep Emma away while Emma herself along with the other half of their council wanted to fight.

"Emma you don't know Regina like we do. This isn't the same Evil Queen we fought all those years ago, she's changed. She's unhinged," her mother said.

"What was the point of teaching me to sword fight or to shoot an arrow? Why have the Blue Fairy try to teach me to strengthen my magic? Why invest all this time teaching me to defend myself if you never wanted me to actually do it?" Emma questioned.

"Those were for last-ditch efforts so that you were never completely helpless should you be kidnapped. But Emma you cannot go off half-cocked and expect to win. You've never seen battle, you've grown up so lucky. You don't understand how devastating a war with Regina would be," David pinched the bridge of his nose between two fingers.

"She threatened _me._ I'm not going to tuck my tail between my legs and slink away like a kicked dog. I want to take the fight directly to her, no army. No one but me has to be in danger."

"No. Absolutely not. Emma you are the Crown Princess and Heir to the throne, it's too dangerous. You have no idea what Regina is capable of."

"Then tell me! Give me an idea then!"

"She wants to take your heart," Snow White spoke up finally. Emma stared at her. "There's a spell, a horrible spell. She needs your heart in order to live forever, with your heart she can watch as all of us die. Me, your father, Leo, and even Charlotte will die, but she will live on. That's her new means of revenge."

"How do you know?" David asked, his voice hollow.

"Before Emma was born, Blue and I poured over spellbooks trying to find out what curse Regina was plotting. We were sure it would be the Dark Curse but as the years stretched on it seemed more and more unlikely."

"But what of the price? What price will she pay to live forever?" Jiminy Cricket asked from his microphone.

"To live forever means that you're alone. You outlive everyone and eventually, there's no one left. Regina's lost everyone, she's already alone," Snow said. "Regina has nothing to lose and she's half mad already. I can see the appeal this curse would have for her."

"So what's your plan? Hide me away until she dies? Who knows how long that could take? She could raise an army- you told me of her black knights. Are we sure that none are still loyal to her?"

"Emma-"

"Both of you have shown her mercy by banishing her; she still lives in a castle, she still had all her finery, her magic. All of that must have festered within her all these years. You say that she's unhinged then what guarantee is there that she'll slink back into solitude if she cannot find me? What if she goes for Leo or for-gods forbid-Charlotte? We need to end her while we still can," Emma's fist came down hard on the table, rattling the heavy wooden table.

"That's enough," her father raised his voice. Emma silenced herself instantly, it was the first time David had ever shouted at her. "Don't you think that your mother and I have feared that something like this would happen? That we have feared for you and your siblings' lives since the day you were born?" Emma looked down at the table, unable to meet her father's eye.

"I'm sorry Father," she said quietly.

"Our top goal is to keep you and your siblings alive. It's not that we don't have faith in you or that we don't believe that you could win, I just can't take the chance of losing any of you."

"What do you suggest?"

"There has been a plan in place ever since your mother found out she was pregnant. You were to go through the wardrobe that was in your nursery to safety should the Queen's curse come. But the wardrobe can only take one and there are three of you now so the plan had to be modified. You and your siblings will be placed on our three fastest ships and sent in different directions."

"You mean to split us up? For how long and how far apart would we be from each other?" Emma's heart broke at the thought of never seeing Leo or her little Charlotte again; she began to pace around the table, her hands clasped tightly together. "Look I know my magic isn't exactly reliable but wouldn't it be safer if I was with them? Just in case everything else fails, that way Leo and Charlotte aren't completely defenseless?"

"It's the only way to ensure that you will all be safe, even if Regina finds one of you she won't have all of you," David explained, his eyes following his daughter as she made another lap around. "I know you've been trying to hone your magic for years, but we need to be reasonable in this. Your magic is unpredictable at best when you try to push it and in a truly dangerous and stressful situation when emotions are running high we can't take any risks."

"But what if she finds Charlotte? Charlotte's only six she can't defend herself."

"I took a potion before you were born, that prevented Regina from doing any bodily harm to me. That protection extends to you, Leo, and Charlotte; she cannot directly harm any of you," Snow reached out to her, but Emma walked past her without noticing her mother's outstretched hand.

"Then why do we have to go anywhere in the first place? Why go into hiding? Contact the Blue Fairy again, she must be able to do something to help us."

"Just because Regina herself cannot hurt you, it doesn't mean her soldiers or assassins can't. When she finds out that you and your siblings are in hiding you can be sure that she will place a high price on your capture. Each of you will have a personal guard, only our best and most trusted soldiers," David described. "It was Blue herself who helped us formulate this plan."

"We will be united again, Emma. This isn't forever," Snow White's hand found Emma's as she rounded the table yet again and gripped tight. "It's what our family does, we find each other."

Emma looked from her mother to her father realizing that the decision had already been made and that she had no more choice in the matter, "When do we leave?"

"Tonight at midnight."

"I suppose I had better start packing then."


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N** : Be sure to check out the absolutely gorgeous chapter header princese-swan created on my blog! Huge thanks to her and my two beta readers justanotherwannabeclassic and eloquentlyenchanted and to readers like you! Hope yall enjoy!

Be aware that this chapter contains some pretty harsh corporal punishment

Killian's eyes itched with fatigue as he stood with a straight back and stiff knees for the arrival of the precious cargo the captain told them they would be transporting. He shifted his weight slightly from foot to foot and wondered why all the crew members had to wait out on deck for this so-called "precious" cargo, surely only a few crewmen needed to see the object on board.

"Stand up straight Jones, show some respect," the first mate barked at him. Killian rolled his eyes and thought longingly of his flask stowed away in his bunk. Hopefully, once all this pomp and circumstance was over and done with he could sneak below deck and have a nice long drink. He heard the hoofbeats of approaching horses, finally whatever they were transporting had arrived. He craned his neck, looking for a chest or trunk, surely something so valuable would come locked away securely.

Instead, he saw a group of six or so people riding towards them, most were wearing heavy plate armor while one seemed to be smaller and lighter than the others. They pulled up to the docks and started to dismount. He noticed that the smallest of the party was a young woman, her long hair pulled back away from her face.

"Kneel before the princess, mates," the captain shouted as the party began to walk up the gangplank. Kilian's mind blanched as he struggled to keep his expression, _the princess? Surely they weren't transporting the princess?_

"I said kneel before the lady, Jones or has all that drink finally gone to your head?" A rough and calloused hand jostled Killian's shoulder and he sank to his knees, turning his head ever so slightly to glare at his captain. What he wouldn't give to punch the man square in the eye one day.

"Temper, brother," Liam whispered from his spot beside Killian.

"Alright mates, the crown princess is in danger and we have been charged with taking her to safety. Now, while she's on board we won't be making port for a while so I hope that you all got your jollies from the last time so the memories can warm your beds at night. Business will remain strictly as usual when we set sail but please remember that there is a lady around. I wouldn't do anything to get on her or her guard, Sir August's, bad side."

Killian looked to the only guard who remained on board with the princess, he was young perhaps the same age as Killian, a smattering of dark hair dusted the guard's face. Despite his young age, he was clearly a high ranking member of the royal guard judging by the quality of his sword and armor. Killian hoped he would have the good sense to take that off once they got out to sea, plate armor on a ship at sea practically invited the wearer to fall overboard. His eyes followed to the princess, taking a moment to look at her properly. They were about the same age, Killian thought he might be one or two years older, and stronger looking than Killian would have imagined a crown princess to be. Her arms seemed well muscled under the sleeves of her shirt and she was outfitted in leather breeches with a sword belt and a vest instead of the poofy gown Killian had seen noblewomen wear when they ventured to the docks. His eyes lingered on her stunning face, she was more beautiful than he could've dreamt; high cheekbones, full lips, and tendrils of blonde hair woven into a braid. But it was her eyes that were the most striking, jade green and full of a fire and fierceness Killian had yet to see in anyone.

"We set sail immediately, to your stations men!" his captain shouted pulling Killian out of his reverie. He sprang into his work, shimmying up the mainmast with the other midshipmen to unfurl the sails. He saw from above the captain escorting the princess and her guard below decks, no doubt to a private cabin away from the rest of the crew. Killian couldn't help but feel strangely satisfied when the princess kept a large distance between herself and the captain.

The next morning Killian and Liam were tasked with swabbing the deck, a chore that Killian loathed. As the captain took nearly every opportunity to make his life miserable whenever he was near. The captain appeared busy as he showed the princess around the ship explaining how things worked and the jobs of the various men. The princess, he noticed, looked politely interested but there was something in her face that told Killian she would rather be somewhere else.

"Look right, Jones, I want that deck so clean the princess can see her face in it." The first mate called to him. Killian scowled and plunged his hand into the bucket that sat between him and Liam ignoring the pain in his hand as the lye burned his skin

"Easy, brother, don't go causing a scene," Liam whispered as he diligently scrubbed the deck. "Soon enough we'll have the money to buy commissions to the Navy and we'll be free men at last."

"Please, as if this one could ever survive in the Navy, they look down on insolent drunks with no sense of authority." Liam and Killian looked up to see that Captain Silver was standing over them, looking even smugger than he usually did. The princess and her guard were standing a few yards away looking out at the horizon, to deeply engaged in what looked like a hushed argument to pay attention.

"Well now we know why you've never been in the Navy then," Killian said before he could stop himself. Silver's eyes darkened and he took a step forward.

"I wouldn't test me if I were you boy, I can make sure that you never see an inch of freedom for the rest of your miserable life," he growled before kicking the bucket over. "You missed a spot."

Anger rippled through Killian's body and before he could stop himself he leapt to his feet, his face mere inches from the captain's face and his hands balled into fists.

"Killian, no!" Liam cried as he tried to pull Killian back down. "He's sorry Captain, I'll make sure he calms down."

"He's too hot-headed for your soft words, he needs some sense whipped into him. Twenty lashes at once."

"No, Captain Silver, please!" Liam begged.

"Silence or that'll be twenty lashes for you as well!" Captain Silver said coolly, stepping back as several crewmen tried to wrestle Killian to his knees. "No need to be gentle lads."

It took five men to get Killian to his knees and into position, his shirt torn open and his back exposed and awaiting the lashes. Killian stared up defiantly at the captain and kept his lips fused shut, refusing to make a sound as the whip struck his skin in quick strokes.

"Captain Silver!" Princess Emma stormed over, much to the disgrace of her guard who was trying to pull her back towards where they had been standing. "Stop this at once."

"Your Highness you shouldn't see this," he said as he tried to lead her away, but she wrenched her arm away from his grip and stood toe to toe in front of the captain.

"You shouldn't be whipping this man after you provoked him," Emma said as she glared at Captain Silver, a fire burning in her eyes.

"Princess perhaps you are mistaken, this boy is a troublemaker and needs to be punished. You've a soft heart, perhaps you should retire to your cabin." An oily smile spread across the captain's face revealing several gold teeth.

"It would be in your best interest, Captain, to not directly contradict your crown princess and the future ruler of this kingdom. I told you to stop this and that's an order." Captain Silver's smile fell into a scowl. The princess furrowed her brow, her head held high and her eyes hard, refusing to back down to Silver.

"You think you can give me an order on my ship? I've got news for you, Your Highness, you're not the queen yet." He raised his hand as if to strike her but was stopped when her guard quickly caught his wrist, twisting it back painfully.

"You lay a hand on her Highness and you will lose it," he threatened, his other hand firmly gripping the hilt of his sword. Silver wrenched his hand out of the guard's grip, his eyes squarely on the other man's sword.

"Let him up," he grumbled, sneering at the princess and her guard. The men around hesitated, unsure of what to do.

"You heard your captain, let him up," the princess turned to them, directing her fire at them.

The men sprang into action hauling Killian to his feet, the lashes stung as he moved and his torn shirt hung off his torso, his gaze fixed on the princess before Silver snapped him back to reality. "Count yourself lucky that the princess would ever take a liking to an urchin like you boy," he said in a harsh whisper. "Everyone back to work; the show's over." The other crew members quickly returned to their posts and duties while the princess was led, rather reluctantly, back to the safety of her cabin.

"Come, Killian, let's get you cleaned up," Liam placed his hand on Killian's shoulder and made to walk with him below deck to their bunks.

"Ah, ah, ah, Jones, I believe I said for everyone to get back to work. Once this deck is up to my standards then he can go and lick his wounds."

Killian silently seethed but kept his mouth shut lest he give Silver an ounce of satisfaction. He knew the man would look for any excuse to punish both him and Liam for what had just happened, so with his jaw clenched he went back to scrubbing the deck doing his best to ignore the pain in his back and the jeers of the other crewmen.

Once their work for the day was done, Killian and Liam headed to the galley to get their dinner. His stomach rumbled loudly, just the thought of hardtack and salted beef made Killian's mouth water.

"Oi, boy!" The cook, Murphy, called out. Killian and Liam looked up, "Not you, the younger one!"

"What is it, Murphy?" Killian asked, so focused on the pot of stew simmering above the controlled fire that he didn't notice Murphy place a nicely laid tray on the counter in front of him.

"The princess requires her supper, and seeing as how she's taken a liking to you the captain says that you should be the one to take it to her."

"Can't it wait a minute?" Killian asked, his hunger getting the better of his judgment.

"You really think you can eat before the Crown Princess? Are you mad? You can eat when you come back if there's anything left," Murphey pushed the tray forward. Killian huffed and grabbed the tray off the counter, hoping that Liam would save him at least a couple bites of food.

"She's holed up in the first mate's cabin, down the hall, and to the left. Don't dawdle." The cook shooed him off. Killian rolled his eyes and stomped off in the direction of the princess's cabin. He had a feeling that the captain had specifically asked the cook to have him take the princess's food, knowing that by the time he got back to the galley there would be next to nothing left for him to eat. If only she hadn't needed to be so damned noble and let him take his lashes like a man. He hadn't needed her saving and moreover he hadn't asked for it. And he certainly didn't ask for the near constant jabs and jeers from the rest of the crew about needing to be saved by a fair maiden. He clenched his jaw, he needed a drink if only to dull the sounds of their taunts in his head.

"Bloody gits," he murmured to himself as he held his hand up to knock on the door, stopping himself. He heard muffled voices from behind the door, one man and one woman, clearly the princess and her guard. They were arguing, Killian strained to hear but before he could even try to make anything out clearly the door was thrown open and the guard stormed out of the room, his hands thrown up in frustration.

"I'm not done!" The princess yelled as she followed him through the door and nearly into Killian. She stopped short and her cheeks colored, surprised to know her argument had an audience "Oh you're the boy from earlier- Killian, right?" she surveyed him. "I'm sorry if you heard anything."

"Aye, well I have your dinner your Highness," Killian said, trying to keep the edge out of his tone. He had no desire to be dragged into their quarrel.

"Oh thank you," the princess took the tray from him and looked down at it. "Would you like to share? I couldn't eat all of this by myself."

"I don't need your charity," Killian spat out before he could stop himself. The princess was taken aback before she frowned.

"Fine then, there's no need to be rude about it."

"Rude? You think I'm being rude?"

"Yes, of course, I think you're being rude because in case you haven't noticed you _are_ being rude. And for no good reason, I might add."

"If it weren't for you and your damn dinner your highness, I would be able to eat after a long hard day of work."

"If it weren't for me you would have been whipped about twenty more times. And, in case you forgot, I _offered_ to share with you. If you weren't such a jackass you could have been eating instead of arguing with me."

"I don't need your help princess," Killian said through gritted teeth.

"Good then I won't bother next time," she remarked curtly and slammed the door in his face. Killian huffed and stomped back to the galley but paused when she wrenched open her door once more. "And my name is Emma. If you're going to argue with me we might as well be equals," she gave the door a final slam.

Killian stood shocked for a moment, almost blown away. He hadn't expected the princess to have that kind of temper and he never would have dreamed that she would ever swear, no matter how angry she got. Whatever Killian had imagined a princess would be like, this princess- ("Emma" he corrected himself. "Her name is Emma.") was definitely not what he had expected.


	4. Chapter 3

The skies grew steadily darker as they sailed further south and the thick humid air lay across the ship and its passengers like an unwanted blanket. More than once, Emma thought about stripping off her dress and jumping from the deck into the sea just for a chance to cool off. Of course she wouldn't, she knew that she would be sucked underneath the ship's wake. Not to mention the sharks and krakens and more sinister things that the men spoke of hiding beneath the waves.

She had taken to reading at the bow of the ship, letting the breeze as the ship broke through the waves cool her slightly as she tried to focus on the words in front of her, a task that was proving fruitless. She kept glancing up to stare over the horizon or down to observe the crew members as they worked. And, try as she might to stop them, her eyes kept finding Killian- the man who apparently wanted to be whipped. She still couldn't understand how he could be so angry after she saved him from a punishment he didn't deserve. She watched as he hoisted a large coil of rope onto his shoulder, his arm muscles bulging under his shirt. Emma shook herself and forced herself to look down at her book but she couldn't help but feel frustrated. Here she was stuck on a ship and staring at an almost annoyingly handsome cabin boy with stupid blue eyes and dark hair that she wanted to run her fingers through when she should be with her parents and defending her kingdom from the Evil Queen. They had been at sea for only four days but already it felt like an eternity; she felt isolated and useless as she sailed further and further away from her home. The only slight bright side was that her friend Pinocchio would be making the voyage with her, although it was proving difficult to call him "Sir August" in front of the crew and not Chio as she had for as long as she could remember. But he also refused to listen to her about her frustrations with being shipped off to twiddle her thumbs while her parents took care of Regina. He had gotten particularly cross with her two nights ago when she suggested sneaking onto a ship back to Misthaven once they made port, insisting that she needed to honor her parents wishes and stay safe. She really ought to apologize for saying his knighthood made him honorable and boring but she'd let it simmer for another day.

A drop of rain fell onto the page she had open rousing her from her thoughts. She looked up just as the clouds seemed to open up and pour down upon them. The wind roared and the sails billowed above her head.

"Your Highness!" Chio shouted and rushed up as quickly as he could while weighed down with his armour on and shouted over the wind, rain, and churning of the waves. "Captain says you should be below decks during this, it could get dangerous up here."

"Is everyone going to be alright?" she asked. She watched, awestruck as barefooted men began to climb the masts and secure the sails.

"They'll be fine, they've been through this sort of storm before. Now come on, Emma please," Chio clasped her arm tightly and tried to lead her back to her cabin. Her boots slid slightly on the slippery wood as she made her way slowly across the deck. The wood creaked dangerously and as another strong gust of wind shook the ship, Emma stumbled, falling roughly to her knees.

"Are you alright?" Chio tightened his grip on her arm and hauled her back to her feet but a large wave crashed into the side of the ship rocking it violently.

"Captain Silver! Are you aware that this ship is pointed dead into that storm?" Emma looked up to see the other Jones brother, the elder one-Liam, perhaps- shouting up at the captain.

"Go back to your duties Jones, leave the navigating to the officers."

"Well they're doing a piss poor job! We're thirty degrees off course and headed straight into a hurricane, what kind of captain are you?" Killian asked as he hung onto the shrouds of the mainsail.

"The kind who doesn't take orders from cabin boys or the daughters of bandits and shepherds," Captain Silver said turning to stare at Emma.

"Captain, what is the meaning of this?" Emma bellowed at him, a numbness that has nothing to do with the wind or the rain fell over her.

"Long live the Evil Queen," he smiled as he held the ship's course straight into the eye of the storm.

"Coward! Traitor!" Chio yelled as he drew his sword and ran towards the helm. But Liam Jones moved quickly and grabbed the captain's sword and held it to his neck.

"Captain, I've always abhorred the idea of mutiny" he said through gritted teeth. "But I think for a treasonous wretch like you I'll make an exception."

"Now we can do this the easy way or the bloody way," Killian said advancing.

"Go ahead and try, but a lot of good it'll do you. You'll still have to survive this storm," Captain Silver laughed. Suddenly thunder boomed around them. Above them, they heard the sound of a sail ripping. The crew men were not quick enough in furling it, so the wind tore harshly through the thick canvas. Seeing his opportunity Captain Silver punched Liam across the face making him drop the sword and stumble backwards into the railing. Chio surged forward and swung his sword at the captain only to be parried, they were locked in the fight as the storm surged all around them they could only focus on the other. Emma ran to Liam's side to see if there was anything she could do to help.

"Are you alright?" she asked, shaking his shoulder as he came to.

"I'm fine, where's Killian? Where's my brother?" he asked blinking through the rain and seawater that blurred his vision.

"Liam! I'm here brother, I'm here," Killian cried as he frantically slid across the wet deck on his knees.

"We should get him somewhere safe, he seems a bit dazed," Emma said.

"I don't need your help," Killian huffed, trying to get his brother to his feet.

"Well too bad, you're getting it," Emma pulled Liam's arm around her shoulders so that he was supported on either side. Killian rolled his eyes but began walking toward the hatch that would take them below decks and out of the rain.

Lightning flashed through the sky accompanied not by the boom of thunder but by the splintering and cracking of wood. They all looked up to see that the very top of the foremast had buckled under the strain caused by the wind and unfurled sails and was falling to the decks below. Everyone scrambled to get out of the way as the debris rained down all around them. The thick wood of the mast crashed down and leaving a gaping hole in the deck.

"We're taking on water!" someone shouted. "Abandon ship!"

"Cowards, you're all cowards!" Captain Silver shouted as he tried to push Chio off as the knight had him pinned up against the railing with a sword to his throat.

"The only coward here is you," Chio yelled throwing all his weight behind his sword.

"Aye but better to be a live coward than a dead nobleman," Silver said before slicing Chio at the knee between his armor. Chio shouted in pain and recoiled enough for Silver to gain the advantage and push him up against the rails.

"Chio, no!" Emma shouted and surged forward, dragging Liam and Killian along, but she was too late. Silver shoved Chio over the rail and Chio fell backwards into the pitching and rolling sea. His hand stretched out and managed to grab Silver by his collar pulling him over as they both tumbled into the waters. Emma stopped dead, a rushing sound filling her ears and drowning out the roar of the wind and sea, the shouts of the crewmen, the slap of rain against the deck. Her vision tunneled, all she could see was the bit of rigging where Chio had fallen over. Her breathing came in shallow uneven bursts as fer feet rooted themselves in place. Chio was gone, her one friend and protector, now sinking beneath the waves.

"Princess, we have to get you out of here!" Liam said, jostling her back to reality.

"No, brother, we have to make sure you're alright," Killian protested, but Liam shook his head.

"I told you I'm fine, we have to get to a lifeboat, hurry!" Emma and Killian locked eyes and nodded. Killian began to lead the way through the wreckage and other crewmen who were fighting for a chance to get aboard a lifeboat.

"Coming through! Out of the way, we have the princess!" Killian shouted as they fought their way through. Emma kept her head down and focused on putting one foot in front of the other. They had been played and Captain Silver almost succeeded in killing her and everyone else on the ship. He had succeeded in killing Chio. What's to say something similar hadn't happened to Leo or, gods forbid, Charlotte? She swallowed thickly, she couldn't allow herself to cry, lest she blind herself more in spite of the rain and sea spray.

"Alright princess up you get, come on into the boat now," Killian had already helped Liam aboard and was holding out a hand for her. Emma looked back to see so many others still left on the ship and making their way towards her.

"No," she shook her head, "Not until everyone else is aboard too."

"Are you mad? There might not be room afterwards," Killian looked at her incredulously as another large wave crashed over the side of the ship, drenching the deck in even more water.

"I don't take up that much space, I'm not leaving another man behind!" she insisted and started pushing more crewmen forward.

"I am going to regret this," Killian muttered to himself before jumping back onto the deck and ushering more people onto the lifeboat. The quicker they got everyone on, the quicker they could row to safety. "All right I think that's the last of the-" he was cut off by another boom of thunder and the cracking of wood. They both looked up to see the wood holding the lifeboat in place was splintering and falling apart.

"Get on the boat now!" Emma shouted and Killian didn't need telling twice but as he stepped towards it the boat fell away completely.

"Shit! Liam!" Killian shouted as he tried to grab onto a rope.

"Look out!" Emma yelled as a another wave, bigger than the rest, rose and fell right onto the deck knocking Killian and Emma off their feet they slid across the deck into the surging tide.

Emma held her breath and tried with all her might to swim to the surface without colliding with anything. Her skirts and boots became waterlogged and weighed her down, but she didn't have time to pull them off, her muscles screamed in protest as she kicked towards the surface. She broke the surface and took a deep breath of air only for another wave to crash over her. She was pushed beneath the water and tossed around like a ragdoll. Again she fought to the surface and blinked through the salt water that stung her eyes to look for something to anchor herself to.

Someone surfaced a few feet from her and she could tell that it was Killian, scrambling onto a piece of what used to be the deck. She swam over to him, knowing her chances of survival were much better with him on that makeshift raft than by herself in the open water.

"Come on," he said and held out his hand when he spotted her. She grasped it tight, feeling his callused skin against hers, and kicked her legs as he pulled her onto the raft.

"Thank you," she panted and flopped unladylike onto the raft, grateful that it appeared to hold both their weight. "What do we do now?"

"We should try to find the lifeboat, there should be room for us there," Killian said as he used a stray piece of debris to paddle them in the direction of where the lifeboat had been. Wasting no time Emma dipped her hands back into the water to try to help speed them along but waves kept pushing against them.

"Killian, we have to stop," Emma said, through the spray that pelted her in the face.

"No, I'm not giving up on Liam," Killian began paddling with more vigor than before.

"The waves too strong, we have to find a way to get out of this storm." Killian looked alarmed, his eyes wide and wild with fear and desperation. Emma gently placed her hand on his shoulder, "We'll find land and then we can find news." Killian looked down at her hand and back to her face; Emma could see him trying to find another way and coming up with nothing.

"Alright, well keep an eye out for land. And hold on, I don't know if I'll be able to go after you if you fall off."

"Same to you," she said. They clung on to their raft as the storm blew itself out and carried them with it. Emma had never been so cold and so wet in her life, there was no shelter to be found from the rain or the spray of the sea. Soon she couldn't tell what was rain and what was sea water, she just hoped that they were able to find dry land soon so that she might stop shivering.

"Come here," Killian said outstretching his arm to her, "We'll be warmer if we huddle together."

Emma nodded and slid closer to him, careful not to rock their raft too much, "Thank you."

"You helped me, now I'm helping you. Just returning the favor," he placed his arm around her shoulder, providing some shelter from the onslaught of water. They continued to drift for several hours, the thunder and lightning subsiding as time passed and the rain lightened up from a downpour to a drizzle. It was hours before either one of them spoke again, their eyes steady on the horizon or at least anywhere but on each other. Emma's lids felt heavy, the sea had calmed enough that the waves beneath them felt like a gentle rock rather than a pitching and rolling mass and with each blink of her eye it became harder and harder to keep them open.

"Lass?" Killian shook her shoulder, pulling her out of her stupor. "I think I spy some land ahead." He pointed and Emma squinted true the drizzle and mist, she could vaguely see something that looked like an island or sandbar in the distance.

"Are we able to get to it?" she asked, her voice hoarse after hours of disuse.

"We should be, unless there's reef or rocks along the shore line but I can't tell from here," he reached for his makeshift oar and tried to row them in the direction of the island. Emma looked around and saw a piece of wood that was barely hanging on to their makeshift raft. She reached out and pulled as hard as she could, effectively splintering off the piece of wood and giving her an oar of her own. She looked up to see Killian staring at her, eyebrows raised.

"What? If only one of us rows we're just going to go in circles," she blushed in spite of herself.

"I just-" he started before clearing his throat. "Try to stroke at the same time as me, otherwise we'll really get nowhere."

Even with their combined efforts, it took a long time for them to get close to the island and Emma's arms ached as they never had before.

"Good news is there's no coral, bad news is that it's still gonna be rough getting ashore," Killian said as the waves picked up beneath them again as they came closer to the shoreline.

"What should we do?" Emma asked, holding onto the side of the raft.

"Hold on for the time being and then when we get close enough to shore, jump off and swim," Killian instructed. The waves beneath them began to pick up as they floated closer to shore, the raft dropping more and more sharply as the passed over the crest of each wave. Just as they passed a wave that began to white cap they both jumped off the sides of the raft. Emma swam to the side, giving herself some distance between her and the raft. She turned to face the island and let the current carry her to shore, stumbling as she tried walk to dry land as soon as her feet skimmed the ocean floor.

She fell to her knees in the sand, panting heavily and her legs and arms shaking. She turned to see Killian hauling himself up the beach and felt herself sigh in relief. He fell to his knees next to her and she could hear him catching his breath before lying down next to her in the sand. Emma let herself relax completely, feeling too tired to worry about finding food and shelter or start a fire; and judging by the snores rumbling from Killian's chest neither was he. Such issues could wait until morning.


End file.
